James Page - Deca Legend

Last week I photographed James Pages on Day 9 of his Deca challenge.  A Deca, for those of you unfamiliar with this, is 10 Ironman distances so 24 miles swimming, 1120 miles cycling and 262 miles running.  This shot was taken when he was well into the run section, so well into realms of pain that I can't even begin to imagine.

James was doing his run section on a country path, just over a 2 mile lap which he was doing repeatedly, accompanied by his wife Wendy, some fellow ultra runners, a small boy on a bicycle and a very muddy Pekanese dog with a scrunchie in its fringe.  This curious little band was joined by colleagues, dog walkers and neighbours throughout the day.  I was struck by both the juxtaposition of the magnitude of what he was achieving and this very eccentric and understated support group, and just the love and care shown to James and to each other in the group, most of whom hadn't really met until they found themselves together in a muddy wood with this man.  It became a sort of pilgrimage, a quiet bond between people from all different walks of life, just being there with James whilst he was getting it done.  I'm not a religious person but I found the experience profoundly moving.

James is raising funds for Child Bereavement UK and Big Moose Cardiff.  If you'd like to donate, details can be found here:

http://longestdaydeca.co.uk/